The origins
of the Papacy can be traced to St. Peter, one of the [supposed] original
disciples of Jesus.
The current pope, Francis I, is the 265th successor of St. Peter.
Needless to say, all 266 popes are male. Yet, during the middle ages, there
existed a story about a pope who was actually a female in disguise. The name of
this supposed female pope was Joan. Who was this mysterious Pope Joan, and did
she really exist?

The statue that still stands in Rome is
Joanna with a papal crown. (ericcostanzo.com)

The first
written account of Pope Joan can be traced to a 13th century work
known as the Chronica
universalis Mettensis (Chronicle of Metz). According to its author,
the Dominican chronicler, Jean de Mailly, there was an unnamed pope who was not
recorded in the list of Bishops of Rome because she was a woman disguised as a
man. The chronicler goes on to say that it was this woman’s character and
talents that enabled her to occupy the seat of St. Peter. In addition, de
Mailly records that the grave of this unnamed pope was marked with a Latin
phrase, “Petre, Pater Patrum, Papisse Prodito Partum”, meaning “O Peter, Father
of Fathers, betray the childbearing of the woman pope”. It may be pointed out,
however, that de Mailly begins this narrative with the Latin infinitive
“Require”, meaning “to be verified / inquired into”, indicating that even the
author himself is unsure as to the truth of the story.

Painting of Pope Joan in Papal Tiara, on display
at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, circa 1560.The artist is unknown. (en.wikipedia.org)

The story of
the female pope in disguise is then picked up by an anonymous Franciscan friar
of Erfurt in his Chronica
minor, and by the Dominican inquisitor and preacher, Etienne de
Bourbon. Whilst the story of the female pope in the Chronica minor is similar to that of de
Mailly’s, Etienne de Bourbon’s version includes details regarding her death.
The author records that the pope gave birth in public, thus revealing her true
gender, and she was subsequently dragged behind a horse for half a league and
then stoned to death for her deceit.

The most
well-known and influential version of the female pope story, however, comes
from the Chronicon
pontificum et imperatorum (Chronicle of Popes and Emperors),
written by another Dominican, Martinus Polonus. Due to the prestige and
credibility derived from his ties with the Roman hierarchy, Martinus’ work
circulated widely, and overshadowed the accounts of earlier writers on the same
subject. Unlike other earlier accounts, Martinus provides a vivid account of
the female pope’s life. As a matter of fact, it is here that the name Joan
first appears in writing.

In addition
to naming this pope, Martinus also provides details such as her nationality
(English), place of birth (Mainz), as well as her pontificate (after Leo IV’s
death in A.D. 855), and the length of her reign (two years, seven months and
four days). Although Martinus reveals little about his sources, there is a tone
of uncertainty in his writing, revealing that like his predecessors, he is also
unclear about the verity of this tale. On top of that, some have claimed that
this story was added to the chronicle after Martinus’ death, indicating that
the chronicler had nothing to do with this tale.

Martinus Polonus, the Dominican Friar who
wrote a vivid account of Pope Joan’s life, yet he revealed little about his
sources. Here he is depicted as the Archbishop of Gniezno, illustrated
manuscript prior to 1535. (en.wikipedia.org)

From
Martinus onwards, the story of Pope Joan became more and more elaborate. One
version of the story, for instance, claims that the pope did not die
immediately after giving birth. Instead, she was deposed after her confinement,
and did penance for many years. After her death, she was buried in Ostia, where
her son held the office of bishop.

As the
primary written sources themselves indicate a certain amount of doubt regarding
the story of Pope Joan, it is possible that the story is but an urban legend.
Yet, others believe that there are ‘hints’ of this female pope’s existence in
art and architecture. For instance, on the pillars of Bernini’s Baldalchin in
St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City, seven sculptures showing a woman’s
facial expression whilst going into labour can be found. The eighth sculpture
is that of a child. Some have interpreted this as that Pope Joan giving birth.
Yet, there are numerous other possible interpretations of this scene that are
conveniently ignored. The most popular one, for instance, is that the woman is
the niece of Pope Urban VIII, who went into labour whilst Bernini was working
on the Baldalchin.

Situated in the basilica of St Peter is the
Baldachin, a sculpture in bronze by Bernini, created 1623-34, depicts seven
sculptures showing a woman’s facial expression whilst going into labour. The
eighth sculpture is that of a child. (en.wikipedia.org)

The legend
of Pope Joan has survived over the centuries. The alleged female pope has been
depicted in art, literature and plays. This tale has also been made into films,
the most recent one being in 2009. Although the available evidence seems to
cast some doubts regarding the existence of Pope Joan, it is likely that some
would continue to believe that this figure was real. Whether as a piece of
fiction or history, the tale of Pope Joan will most likely live on for a long
time to come.

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